There are so many things to get through the day; from getting yourself and the family ready in the morning, going to work, commuting, making dinner, and a plethora of other things that may or may not be completed on the same day. Despite healthy eating, exercise, and coffee, women still complain of being too tired. Men, on the other hand, can have the same list of things to do but still manage to stay up late and wake up fully rested. As it turns out, it may not be because women are smaller or of a more delicate make-up but rather because we are constantly using our brains. “Women’s brains are wired differently from men’s and are more complex, so their sleep need will be slightly greater,” says Professor Jim Horne, director of Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Centre in the United Kingdom.He explains how in “contrast, these feelings were not associated with the same degree of sleep disruption in men.”
“The more of your brain you use during the day, the more of it that needs to recover and, consequently, the more sleep you need,” says Horne. “Women tend to multi-task – they do lots at once and are flexible – and so they use more of their actual brain than men do.”
“A man who has a complex job that involves a lot of decision making and lateral thinking may also need more sleep than the average male,” he says. “Though probably still not as much as a woman.”
Horne, who is also the author of Sleepfaring: A Journey Through The Science Of Sleep, says that the cortex goes into recovery mode during deep sleep. The cortex part of the brain is responsible for memory, language, thought, and other functions.
“What is important is that people have enough sleep to ensure they do not feel excessively sleepy in the day,” explains Horne.
“We are unsure why. The fact that a woman’s brain tends to get more time to relax and repair itself may explain it,” Horne points out.
According to the American Academy Of Sleep Medicine, women suffer from sleep problems. From aches and pains while pregnant, nursing and feedings during the night, menopause, and a snoring partner, are just some of the reasons women are not sleeping well.
According to Horne, the average is 20 minutes. This may differ for women with some needing more time and others requiring less.
“People will tell you they get only five hours’ sleep a night,” says Horne. “Yet if you question them further, they tell you they have an hour’s nap in the afternoon, which puts them up to six hours. That is probably fine for most people.”
“That’s how Mrs Thatcher used to survive, though in times of crisis she used to make do with four hours,” Horne points out. “Winston Churchill was the same. He famously slept only four hours a night, but used to have two-hour siestas every day.”
As the night progresses sleep gets lighter and women are more sensitive to wake up from a noise.
“It is only the deep, refreshing sleep that you need to catch up on, so you need to try to recoup only about a third to a half of what you missed,” he says.
Studies show that women who sleep five hours or less at night, live less longer than those who get an average of seven to eight hours.
Researchers from a separate study found that those who suffer from chronic insomnia have smaller and less dense brains, consequently, negatively impacting the neurological systems involved in decision making.
One study found that adults who miss at least an hour of sleep at night will see their blood pressure increase by as much as 40 percent within five years.
Sleep is not a luxury. It’s a necessity for optimal functioning.
A study found that women between the ages of 30 to 50 years old who do not get enough sleep begin to show fine lines, uneven skin pigmentation, loose skin, and wrinkles.
There are four sleep cycles and each one moves us towards the process of literally unplugging from the outside world.
The heavy work gets done during stage three and four. This is when the body renews itself, regulates the hormones, cleaning out toxins, building memories, growing muscle cells, and process the previous day’s event, among other things. Interrupting or altering this natural process can wreak havoc to your body and brain.
Researchers believe the reason people get the munchies when they don’t sleep enough is because the hunger-regulating hormones gherlin and leptin get thrown off. Therefore, you tend to make unhealthy food choices.
You are three times more likely to cause an automobile accident when you get six or less hours of sleep at night
You can’t expect to not get enough sleep at night and still get yourself to exercise. Researchers see the link between lack of sleep to being inactive, and consequently, gaining weight.
Researchers say people that lack sleep tend to act more, “primitive.” Hence, emotionally incapable of dealing with things in a mature and rational manner.
That physical discomfort translates to the overall emotional state. “We found that women had more depression, women had more anger, and women had more hostility early in the morning,” Breus said.
“During deep sleep, the cortex – the part of the brain responsible for thought, memory, language and so on – disengages from the senses and goes into recovery mode,” Horne explained.
The risks of diabetes increases for women not getting enough sleep.
If you are having a hard time falling asleep, avoid drinking alcohol, coffee, tea, and chocolate a few hours before bed. Also turn off your laptop and mobiles.
